US seeks Europe's high-speed rail expertise

Representatives of US high-speed rail projects are meeting with European companies with expertise in the field to invite them to join the North-East Corridor tender.

In the coming years, US will invest some £85,000 million into the development of the high-speed rail to connect San Francisco with Los Angeles and Sacramento with San Diego on the west coast and Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington in the east.

Attending the USAWeek Europe in November, US executives responsible for the projects will present the opportunities to European businesses, focusing especially on large and medium enterprises.

"The participation of these American authorities in this business meeting reasserts the United States’ interest to know first-hand the leading European high-speed rail companies in the areas of infrastructure and engineering,” said USAWeek Director German Loperena.

“30 per cent of the work constructed must be awarded to local companies by law, so many times these companies need and seek partnerships with companies that have the knowledge and expertise that they do not have,” he said, explaining why European companies with considerable amount of experience in the construction of high-speed rail projects have a great chance to succeed.

The US is currently developing the high-speed rail connection in California, with contracts for the first phase in a total value of $1,000 million already having been awarded.

A tender for the second phase, worth some $2,000 million, is currently underway. California High Speed Rail Authority, responsible for the project’s development is currently inviting companies to submit their proposals.

However, the biggest opportunities for the European businesses represents the planned North-East Corridor (NEC), aiming to upgrade the current NEC by linking cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington and transforming it into a high-speed rail network.

The project is valued at more than $70,000 million and includes, among other large works in several states, two tunnels throughout New York.